Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I regularly speak about the extraordinary cultural diversity in my community. In fact, Fowler is the most multicultural electorate in the whole of Australia, with nearly 70 percent of its population being born overseas and speaking a language other than English at home.

It is a strong and vibrant community, one which I take great pride in representing. However, as a community with many refugees resettled from violent conflicts and war torn countries, many are in search of a better life. Fowler also has significant pockets of disadvantage. A high proportion of families in my community are from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Many families struggle with the reality of living with disabilities and, similarly, many experience difficulties with cultural barriers and coming to terms with integrating with the broader Australian community. Therefore, in my community we rely heavily on settlement services as well as social and welfare support.

Earlier this month I attended the inauguration ceremony of the 12th management committee of the Indo-Chinese Elderly Hostel. This organisation was established in 2003 to meet the culturally specific needs of the Indo-Chinese community. Funded by the Department of Health and Ageing and through the very generous donations of its trustees, the Indo-Chinese Elderly Hostel provides quality palliative care to many elderly members through their 88-bed aged-care facility in Bonnyrigg. I have worked very closely with the care manager, Elena Lau; the long-serving general manager, Veronica Hon; and the administration manager, Sylvie Huynh. Board members including Peter Wong AM, Harry Tang OAM, Phuoc Thang Tran, Michael Chan, Henry Tang, David and Anna Nguy, and Vincent Kong are all close personal friends, and I see the great work they do in our community. Most importantly, this was an occasion to acknowledge the newly-elected chairperson, Mrs Chou Ma, in fact the second woman ever to be elected to this important position. Mrs Ma is a remarkable businesswomen in her own right and will make an extraordinary contribution to the hostel in ensuring that senior citizens in the broader Chinese community have access to quality aged care.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the 22nd AGM of Asian Women at Work. I have spoken regularly in parliament about their activities, particularly with respect to their strong advocacy for migrant working women. Since 1995, Asian Women at Work has provided a strong voice for more than 2,000 women who are isolated from information and support. Ensuring that these women are informed of their working rights, this organisation has been at the forefront of providing its members with counselling, training and education to empower their participation in the workforce. I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the organisation's coordinator, Lina Cabaero, and its community workers including Bich Thuy Pham, Angela Zhang and Roni Wang.

My community is unfortunately overrepresented with families living with disability. However, we are most fortunate to have a number of organisations that are dedicated to providing support for people living with disability. Last Friday I attended the 34th AGM of Disability South West, a not-for-profit community organisation which has provided many services to residents living with disability in Liverpool and Fairfield. Since 1981, Disability South West has provided outstanding support services to people with disability, their carers and families through their programs. From brain injury programs to peer support services and leisure linked activities for young people experiencing challenging behaviours, Disability South West's services are making a phenomenal difference to the lives of these people. Of course, the work that they do cannot happen without the dedication of their board of directors, staff and volunteers. Specifically, I acknowledge the great work of President, Ken Bury, and Chief Executive Officer, Sean Langshaw. Their endeavours and their compassion and care in looking after people with disability are most commendable.

These organisations play a vital role in shaping the lives of people in my community. We are particularly fortunate to have their support and services. All these groups make a difference for the better in our community, and for that I thank them most sincerely.